US, Saudi Arabia negotiating major arms deal — report

The United States is seeking to finalize arms deals worth tens of billions of dollars with Saudi Arabia ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit to Riyadh later this month, Reuters reported Friday.

Trump is due to arrive in Saudi Arabia in late May as part of his first foreign trip since becoming US president, after which he will visit Israel. He is also set to travel to the Vatican, as well as NATO and G7 summits in Brussels and Sicily.

The proposed weapons contracts are said to include the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system (THAAD), which costs $1 billion and was recently deployed by the US in South Korea to defend against the threat of North Korean missiles.

Also being discussed as part of the package are the Bradley Fighting Vehicle and the M109 artillery piece, as well as the Littoral Combat Ship, according to Reuters.

In addition, some $1 billion-worth of munitions are said to be part of the deal, including armor-piercing warheads and laser-guided bombs.

A weapons deal of this magnitude would need the approval of Congress, which is legally required to ensure that any potential weapons sales do not erode Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge.

Furthermore, a number of US lawmakers have previously objected to weapons deals with Saudi Arabia over concerns of the kingdom’s involvement in Yemen’s civil war, although proponents say they are necessary to act as a deterrent against Iran and to combat the Islamic State terror group.

The Reuters report came as a Saudi delegation led by Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir met in Washington this week with top US lawmakers and officials, including US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Members of the Saudi contingent also held meetings with White House officials on Monday and Tuesday to lay the groundwork for Trump’s visit, during which they also discussed the proposed arms sales and cracking down on terror financing, according to Reuters.

The US has long been the main military backer of Saudi Arabia, ever since US president Franklin Roosevelt promised to guarantee the country’s security in exchange for access to the kingdom’s abundant oil reserves during a 1945 meeting with Ibn Saud, the founder of the modern Saudi state.

AP contributed to this report.